Faith Lutheran girls golfer Maddie Perez’s dominant season reached new heights at the Class 5A Southern Region tournament.

Her record-breaking performance didn’t just result in the UNLV commit winning another individual region title, but it proved to be instrumental for Faith Lutheran in what turned into a tight battle for the team title.

Perez posted a two-day score of 13-under 131 to win her second straight 5A Southern Region individual title by nine strokes. That helped Faith Lutheran win the team region title with a two-day score of 2-under 574 by one stroke over Coronado (1-under 575).

“It feels amazing, I knew we were going to have a chance,” Faith Lutheran coach Mike Kruse said. “We knew (Coronado and Gorman) had the firepower to try and come back and Coronado did just that, but we weathered the storm and everybody did their job and now we’re regional champs.”

Perez set the state record for lowest two-round score in a Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association tournament. Brynn Kort of Coronado set the previous mark of 12-under at the 2022 5A state tournament.

“Just absolutely incredible,” Kruse said.“She is such a a skilled golfer. She’s such a great leader. She’s such a great teammate and for all the hard work that she puts into this game, for it to pay off for her, it’s just amazing. … She’s going to do wonders for (UNLV) as well.”

Perez said after the round she did not know she set a state record and added it was a “cool” achievement as she looks for her second individual state title.

“It’s so exciting,” Perez said. “Any type of record, it feels like such an honor to hold. Especially when it’s something as big as a state (record). It’s really such an honor to be able to hold that.”

Faith Lutheran, Coronado and Bishop Gorman — which finished third at 4-over 580 — are the three Southern teams that have qualified for the 5A state tournament. The 5A state tournament is next week in Reno. The first round takes place Monday at Wolf Run Golf Course and the second round is Tuesday at LakeRidge Golf Course.

“The individual title feels super great,” said Perez, who won the 2024 5A state title and was the runner-up last year. “It’s what we’ve been working towards all season, so to see all the work we’re putting in pay off is really exciting.

“For the team, it’s been so long since our team has won this, and especially since my freshman year when we couldn’t qualify (for state) as a team, it’s so exciting .”

Faith Lutheran had a six-stroke lead after the first day following a team score of 1-over 289 on Wednesday ahead of Gorman (7-0ver 295) and Coronado (11-over 299). But Coronado, the five-time defending 5A state champion, shot 12-under as a team on Thursday to make it close.

Paviah Mardiossian shot 3-under 69 on Thursday to help Faith Lutheran hold its lead and Perez dominated with a 7-under 65 score on the second day. Kruse said it was the lowest round Mardiossian has shot in her high school career.

“(Paviah has) never shot better than 75 and today she shot a 3-under 69, so she was a huge contributor,” Kruse said. “Maddie, shooting 7-under today, that’s a big weapon to have to be able to shoot that number. Our other girls did their jobs. From one through six, everybody’s got a job to do and everybody does it, sometimes better than they’re supposed to, that’s what makes champions.”

Perez said even after a strong opening round where she led by three strokes at 6-under 66, she said she wasn’t happy with how she was striking the ball.

“My putter was super clutch within seven feet (on Wednesday), and that’s really what made my round,” said Perez, who did not bogey during the tournament. “Going into Day 2, I did a little bit of work on my irons on the range and I was really happy with the improvement. My short game was super good. What helped me the most was just taking it one shot at a time.”

Coronado’s Sophia Medlin finished second in the individual title battle at 4-under 140 after she shot 7-under 65 on Thursday, and teammate Grace Oh was third at 3-under 141 after Oh shot 5-under on Thursday.

Faith Lutheran is seeking its first girls golf team title since the 2013 3A crown. Conditions will be rainy and windy in Reno, with temperatures in the 50s. Kruse and Perez both said being patient and playing safe will be key to combat the conditions and courses that are new to most Southern golfers.

“We just have to be patient and not force anything,” said Kruse, who added the Crusaders’ home course was closed for renovations the past three weeks, which threw a wrench in their practice for the postseason. “It’s a different style of course that what we’re used to playing in the desert. … It’s a marathon, not a sprint, so we have to be patient.”

Boulder City shot 135-over 711 over two rounds to win the Class 3A Southern Region team title Thursday at Aliante over Virgin Valley (211-over 787). Both teams qualify for the 3A state tournament.

The Meadows’ Chloe Sakkab shot 6-under 138 to win the individual region title by 25 strokes over Boulder City’s Emmerson Hinds (19-over 163).

The 3A state tournament is Tuesday and Wednesday at Ruby View Golf Course at Elko.

The 4A state tournament is Monday and Tuesday at Aliante Golf Club. 4A is a Southern-only classification.

Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.